Highland Resilience (The Band of Cousins Book 6) Read online

  He wasn’t as tall as his cousin Torrian, but his shoulders were broad and he fought like a demon. Linet had caught her watching him spar with his sister’s husband, Cailean MacAdam. The two were known for stripping to the waist and fighting for their own entertainment, their colorful taunts heard across the lists.

  Hopefully, she would be more successful at keeping her other secret to herself, lest she suffer from her sire’s wrath.

  Kyle Maule took off toward the lists, and Gavin steered his horse toward the curtain wall, his knees managing the huge beast with just the slightest of movements. She had to get him to promise to help her. If anyone could save Linet, surely he could.

  “Gavin, will you not help me?”

  “Of course. ’Tis still possible she’s at the chapel and has lost track of time.” When they reached the bailey, he dismounted and helped her down, handing the reins of his horse to one of the stable lads. They had begun to walk toward the chapel, but Merewen couldn’t wait to speak with him privately. She needed his word.

  “Nay, you do not understand,” she said, tugging him out of sight. “You must promise to help me find her. I meant what I said earlier. She’s not here. I’m as certain of that fact as I am of my given name. Someone has taken her, and we must go after her. Will you help me?”

  Gavin stared at her for a moment as if finally understanding the severity of the situation. “You truly think she’s been stolen from Ramsay land? No one has dared to come this far on our land to commit such a crime. We have daily patrols to warn reivers and…others away.”

  “I’m certain of it. She’s gone. Promise me? Please?” Holding his gaze, she said, “This Channel everyone speaks about…the smugglers…could they have taken her? If so, then you must help me before ’tis too late.”

  Gavin gave a slow nod. “I’ll help you, lass. I’ll do whatever it takes to find your sister. Could it be possible she’s run away with someone else? Decided to marry someone your father did not approve of?”

  “Nay!” Her voice had risen again, without her realizing it, and her shout had brought them much attention from passersby. She dropped her voice. “Nay, we vowed to marry brothers or not at all.”

  She noticed a slight curve in the corner of his mouth begging to bloom into a large grin. That grin normally pleased her, but not today. Not when Linet was gone.

  Furious, she grabbed his wrist and squeezed. “We are serious. Do not take this lightly. She would not have gone anywhere without me.”

  His mouth stopped quivering, and he became serious again. “Come, let’s find Father Rab. Even if he hasn’t seen her, he might know something. We’ll decide what to do after we’ve spoken with him.” His hand fell to the small of her back, a soft warm pressure that gave her strength, and they moved forward toward the chapel in silence. Gavin reached for the door of the chapel, holding it open for her to enter. Father Rab stood at the end of the chapel in front of the cross, silently praying if she were to guess.

  “Uncle Rab…I mean, Father Rab,” Gavin said, his hand at the small of her back again, a wee bit of intimacy that she liked.

  “Gavin, how good to see you,” Father Rab said, his eyes crinkling at the corners with his big smile. “And you’ve brought Linet’s sister with you today. Is there aught I should know?” His uncle darted a look at the hand Gavin still held at her back, waggling his brow, but Gavin just stared at him.

  “Aye, something is amiss. Linet disappeared this morning.”

  “Aye?” Father Rab asked, pausing to consider the events of the night. “She was here last eve.”

  “I know,” Merewen said, her panic bubbling back to the surface. “She was out of sorts when she came home. I was nearly asleep, so I didn’t speak to her, but when I awakened, she was gone.” She paused, then added, “Father Rab, was she upset when you saw her?”

  Father sighed. “Aye, she was a bit upset, but she often is. ’Twas not unusual for her.”

  Merewen eyed the priest carefully. She had a special place in her heart for the priest because he would often find books for Linet to read, something she loved to do. “Father, she was upset last eve, but I disagree. I do not often see her in such a state.”

  Father Rab scratched his chin and said, “Seems I’ve made a mistake, lass. Have you checked everywhere?”

  “We’re getting to it,” Gavin said. “Kyle has gone to the lists to fetch her brothers. We’ll meet Gregor at the blacksmith’s hut to visit her sire.”

  “Godspeed to you,” Father Rab said. “I hope you find her hale. I’ll advise you of anything I learn.”

  As soon as they stepped out into the cold wind, Merewen rushed toward her sire’s hut. While she knew her sire would not be happy about her bothering him, at this point, she didn’t really care. It was possible he may have seen something.

  Gregor stepped out of the hut and headed straight for them. The younger Ramsay cousin was much more serious than jesting Gavin, but although he was quiet, he was known for being a quick thinker and deadly with his bow. He and Gavin had been inseparable for as far back as she could recall.

  “Did you learn anything, Gregor?” Gavin yelled.

  Gregor shook his head. Merewen strode past him and headed straight for her sire’s hut. She stuck her head inside and asked, “Papa, have you not seen her at all? Where can Linet be?”

  Wallace Baird simply shook his head. “I know not. You should ask your mother. I’m too busy to monitor you lasses.”

  Gregor and Gavin had followed her inside, but no one said anything for a long moment. The door opened then, and Kyle came inside with her two brothers, Struan and Mal.

  “Lads, have you seen your sister?” Wallace asked, Merewen stepping away from him to face her brothers.

  “Nay, we’ve not seen her,” Mal replied. “We stopped off in the great hall. Our mistress has not seen her either.”

  Gavin and Gregor passed a sick look between the two of them. A knowing look.

  Her sire said, “I must return to my work. Notify me when you find her. I’m sure she’s scattered to the wind somewhere.”

  Merewen stared at her sire in shock. Her sister was never scattered to the wind. She was always focused and purposeful. Her hand went to her head as a sudden dizziness overtook her.

  Her father had no idea, her mother didn’t either. Neither of her brothers had seen her, and nothing unusual had happened at the keep.

  That could only mean one thing.

  Most everyone knew about the wicked men who stole girls and sold them. This meant that Linet hadn’t left. Someone had taken her.

  The Channel of Dubh.

  ***

  Gavin and Gregor ushered the two brothers, Merewen, and her sire, despite his complaints, into the great hall. There was no sign of Torrian, but their laird’s sire, Uncle Quade, sat near the fire with Aunt Brenna. Gavin led the family over to the hearth, intent on fulfilling his promise to Merewen. He would help. He would find her sister.

  As he reached the fire, his sire, Logan, and his mother, Gwyneth, came down the stairs.

  “What has transpired?” Logan asked, immediately picking up on the tension.

  “Linet is missing,” Wallace Baird said. “She disappeared from bed this morn. Could she have been kidnapped by this Channel everyone speaks of?”

  Merewen stood behind the chairs arranged around the hearth. Her face looked pale, her brown eyes huge. Gavin wished to comfort her but didn’t know how. “Can we not stop talking and just go after her?” Merewen cried out. “Where is this Channel? I’ll go along.”

  Both her brothers snorted. Mal asked, “And how will you help?”

  “I can help. I can ride a horse. I’ll be able to see her at a distance. You know I can see farther than either of you.”

  Gavin could see her brothers didn’t take her seriously. It seemed they didn’t get on with their sisters, or at least not with Merewen. Her sire paid none of them any mind.

  “All this panic is likely for naught,” Struan said. “She probably jus
t wandered off somewhere. She’ll be back. No reason to panic.”

  Mal nodded. “I’m going back to the lists.”

  “Not if I tell you to stay,” Uncle Quade said. The words had been spoken in a whisper, but his tone brooked no argument.

  Struan quickly adjusted his attitude. “We’ll do whatever you like, Chief.” Most clan members still referred to Quade as chieftain, even though that title had been passed to his eldest son.

  Torrian entered the hall at that very moment, his steps quick, his expression intent and serious. “I’ve heard Linet is missing?”

  “Aye,” Uncle Quade answered him. “And no one knows where she is.”

  “I’ll send a patrol out immediately. Struan, Mal, get to the stables and await Kyle’s orders. Get twenty men gathered, Kyle. I’ll be right there. If these fools think we’ll allow them to steal lasses from Ramsay land with no consequences, they’re about to find out how wrong they are.” The group got up to leave, Wallace Baird taking his time as if he had something to say, a definite attitude change. Like many others in the clan, his respect for the old chieftain and his son drove his actions. Uncle Quade had made sure that Clan Ramsay had prospered.

  “How do you know where to look for her?” Merewen asked, kneading her hands until her knuckles turned white.

  “I don’t. But she could still be on Ramsay land. The verra first thing we’ll do is send out a patrol. Kyle will be in charge of that mission, and the rest of us will decide what comes next.”

  “I agree,” Gavin’s sire said. “’Tis the best way to start. We’ll discuss the next steps here.” He made a motion for the Baird family to take their leave.

  Merewen didn’t move.

  Gavin edged closer to her. “I promise to let you know if anything turns up.”

  Merewen smiled sweetly at him. “Would you mind escorting me home? My brothers are heading to the stables, and my sire will surely return to his duties.” She dropped her gaze to the floor. “I’m afraid I’ll be stolen away, too.”

  Gavin shrugged his shoulders and glanced at his sire, who gave him a brief nod indicating he should do as she asked. He motioned his arm toward the door and followed Merewen out.

  As soon as they were out of the others’ hearing, she whispered, “I need you to keep your word. You must help me find my sister.”

  “Lass,” Gavin said, “the whole clan will be looking for your sister. You heard our chief. We’re patrolling the land, and if she doesn’t return by the end of the day, we’ll have another plan in place.”

  “I already do.” She crossed her arms and lifted her chin a notch, her lips in a straight line.

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying I’m going after her myself. I’m leaving around the evening meal. No one will notice me then. I’d appreciate your help.”

  “Do you think your parents will truly allow you to leave after your sister disappeared?”

  “I don’t need their permission. If I must, I’ll save her myself.” The clench of her jaw told him she wouldn’t be swayed.

  “Mayhap you should reconsider, lass. But you have time to think on it.”

  “I won’t change my mind.”

  He decided it was probably best to leave her to her thoughts for now. With any luck, one of the patrols would find Linet, and the situation would resolve itself.

  They mounted his horse and said very little, both of them taking in all the activity around them. It was clear the clan was going into action, but would it be enough? He didn’t know.

  But for Merewen’s sake and Linet’s, he hoped they’d find her soon.

  Chapter Three

  Gavin dismounted at the stables after returning Merewen to her cottage outside the bailey. Her mother had invited him in for a bowl of porridge, and he hadn’t had the heart to deny her. The blacksmith had returned while he was there, so he’d felt comfortable leaving Merewen there. For now.

  She’d threatened to leave on her own if Gavin didn’t agree to go with her.

  He didn’t doubt her.

  If she did leave, he knew he only had one choice: he had to go with her. But first he’d head to the hall and convince his laird and his sire to send some guards with them. Gregor would come with him, he knew, and they’d head northeast because that was the last active location they’d heard of for the Channel of Dubh.

  He wished Maggie and Will were here. As the leaders of the Band of Cousins, they knew the most about the Channel. But they’d gone back to Edinburgh to confer with their king, and they might not return for two or three days. Often times, they followed up on different information given to them by the king or one of his men. The sad fact was they never knew exactly when the two would return.

  He strode inside, surprised to see the meeting was just now breaking up. Uncle Quade, Gregor, and Gavin’s parents were gathered around the hearth, talking in hushed voices.

  “What was decided?” he asked as soon as he noticed a break in conversation.

  Uncle Quade said, “Torrian is sending out another patrol to visit each of our surrounding neighbors to see if any of their lasses have gone missing, or if they’ve seen or heard anything about Linet.”

  “When they return and have found naught, where do we go next?” Gavin asked.

  His sire shrugged his shoulders. “We wait until Maggie and Will arrive. Should not be long.”

  Gavin would not allow them to postpone the search. They all knew how quickly the Channel could move. If they waited too long, Linet might be lost forever. “Give us ten guards. Gregor and I will head northeast in pursuit of the largest remaining branch of the Channel.”

  “Nay.” His father moved over to the stone hearth and leaned against it, crossing his arms.

  “’Tis all you have to say? Nay, Papa? Why can we not go?” Gavin stood opposite his sire behind the chairs, setting his feet apart and crossing his arms, mimicking him.

  “Because you have no idea where you’re going.”

  “Northeast.” He glanced at Gregor, who nodded his head in agreement.

  “Where in the Northeast? Inverness? Or are you headed all the way up to the islands?”

  Gavin shrugged his shoulders. “We head to Perth and follow the path into the Highlands.”

  “You have no idea where to go.”

  “How many times have we traveled to Grant land? I’m sure Gregor and I can get there with no trouble. Our guards are familiar with the path. We’ll continue on from there. Mayhap we’ll meet Connor and invite him along. He’ll know the paths into the north, for certes.”

  “’Twould be a most wondrous plan if you had any idea where to go after Grant land. To my knowledge, Connor will be little help in Inverness. Though part of your reasoning is correct, I’ll commend you for that much. You’ve visited the Grants oft enough to know how easy it is to get lost in the Highlands, and winter is around the corner. You’ll get lost in snowbanks in the mountains. You’ll be no help to anyone if you’re stuck.”

  “Papa, have you no faith in me?”

  “I wouldn’t send anyone into the Highlands in the beginning of winter without a solid lead.” His father’s hands shifted to his hips as he leaned forward to make his point. Gavin mimicked the gesture, giving his father no ground.

  “Send guards with us.”

  “Nay, and I’ll not say it again. We wait for Maggie and Will and their new guide.”

  “Who’s the new guide?”

  “Someone the king has sent to assist us with putting an end to the Channel. He knows the north better than any of us. He’s from Inverness.”

  “And when, precisely, will this guide be here?” It struck him as overly convenient that the king should send such an expert along on the very day they needed one. He had his doubts, but he’d hold them until he met the man.

  Assuming it was a man.

  “They’re to arrive earlier than expected, mayhap this eve. No other guards will be permitted to leave until they arrive. Understood?”

  Gavin groane
d his discontent with a loud growl, but then agreed to his sire’s conditions. He couldn’t deny it would be better for Maggie and Will to join and direct their effort to find the missing lass.

  “Agreed, Gavin?” his sire persisted.

  “Agreed,” he finally barked out. “But fair warning, if they don’t arrive this eve, I’m going without them. My fear is Merewen will leave alone, and I can’t allow that. If she sets out on her own, I will follow.”

  “The hell you will!” his sire bellowed.

  “Uncle Logan, what would you suggest he do if he learns Merewen is leaving alone, headed north? She’s as headstrong as Gavin, if I had to guess, and I’ve never met two closer sisters. Words will not sway her,” Gregor implored.

  “Logan,” his mother said. “He’d be wrong not to help the lass, and you know it.”

  “Gavin isn’t strong enough to lead anyone.”

  “I know you won’t care for my opinion, but I’ve traveled with Gavin many times, and I would trust him to lead the Band of Cousins. Aye, he’s a jester, but he’s serious when the situation warrants it,” Gregor said, shooting Gavin a sympathetic look.

  “I don’t agree with you. You took part in that fiasco, too, but even you are more level-headed than my son.” Logan pursed his lips, glaring at Gregor.

  Silence descended on the group around the hearth, everyone looking at the father and son with wide eyes. Gavin thought his head would explode. “What?” he finally sputtered out. “I supposed you’d trust anyone but me? Your own son?”

  “Don’t be daft. I didn’t say I’d trust Gregor to lead the group, just that he has more sense than you. There are plenty of lads I would not trust,” his sire said, moving three steps closer to him.

  “But you’d trust Connor? Braden or Roddy? What about your brother’s sons? Daniel and David? Would you trust Daniel? He’s younger than me, but you’d trust him more, wouldn’t you? Even after all the work I’ve done with the cousins.”